More Than Love
by My Dear Professor McGonagall
Summary: "We loved with a love that was more than love."
1. 8th October 2007

October 8th, 2007

Ginny sat in hers and Harry's bed, reading a letter from Charlie. She smiled and leaned against Harry, who was flipping through a very worn-looking copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_.

Ginny grunted slightly, shifting her weight and pressing a hand to the side of her swollen belly. Harry, whose nerves had been running more and more on edge since Ginny had been placed on bed rest and passed her due date for their third child, snapped his head up.

"Gin? Are you ready? Is it time? Do I need to Floo your mother?" His voice rose with every question; one would think he didn't already have two sons.

He was halfway out of the bed and reaching for his clothes before his wife stopped him. Ginny chuckled quietly. "No, Harry, I'm fine. Just a kick," she told him as she patted her belly. "Come back here," she said, a mock pout on her face.

Harry relaxed and climbed back in beside her, leaning in to kiss her softly. He placed a hand over hers, which lay on her stomach, and he felt her lips smile against his. Just as Harry leaned closer, a shrill giggle sounded from down the hall, but was quickly stifled by the muffled sounds of a brief scuffle and an "Ow!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and tried not to smile too broadly.

Harry sighed. "I don't suppose you'd—"

"Who? Me? In this state?" asked Ginny in a very good imitation of Harry's escalating tones. She turned back to her letter. "I couldn't possibly."

Harry sighed. "Well, just remember, you're always much scarier than I am."

"And that's why you love me."

"Mm-hmm." Harry didn't close the bedroom door all the way as he went down the hall to check on the boys.

Harry's first stop was Albus' room. He poked his head in the small, pale yellow nursery. The eighteen-month old was snoring softly and looked quite peaceful. Harry grinned to himself.

Teddy, nine years old now, was staying the night. Whenever he slept over, he stayed in James' room at the toddler's request. Harry crossed the hall and opened the door to his son's room, and was unsurprised to see James and Teddy very much awake and giggling like madmen over whatever game it was that they had invented. When Harry opened the door and tapped the lights with his wand, though, they both froze, their eyes widening.

"Bed," Harry said.

Instantly, both boys scrambled for their beds and yanked the covers up to their chins. Harry walked in and leaned over them.

"Good night, Ted," he said, giving the boy a kiss. "Night, James," he said, as the littler boy wrapped his chubby arms around his father's neck and gave him a wet kiss on the cheek.

"Nye-nye, Daddy."

"Night, Uncle Harry."

"I love you both," said Harry, as he tapped the lights again.

Just as he began to close the door, he heard the sounds of a disgruntled baby. Hurrying to Albus' door before Ginny would hear him and try to get up, Harry went in to find a half-asleep baby with a distressed expression on his tiny sleep-lined face.

Harry smiled and lifted his son from the crib, checking his nappy; it needed a change. But, when he had put Albus back down, the boy didn't seem too concerned with going back to sleep. For almost half an hour Harry sat, rubbing Al's back until he finally heard the soft breathing that meant the little one had fallen asleep.

Stretching his legs, Harry got up and left. It was nearly one in the morning. He was stooping to pick up a forgotten trick wand (one of Uncle George's many gifts), when he heard Ginny's voice. She gave a sharp gasp, and then a whimper. "Harry?"

Harry didn't think his old Firebolt could have flown faster than he did down that corridor.

Ginny sat up in bed, holding her very large stomach with a grimace on her face. She nodded at Harry, who hurried over to her and helped Ginny stand. He then turned to face the closet, where they had kept a bag ready for their departure.

"I'll just Floo your mum, all right?"

Ginny nodded. She pressed her hands against her back and breathed deeply several times before another contraction hit, harder than any other she'd ever felt, even during the boys' births.

"Harry—oh!" Caught off guard, it was all she had to avoid falling backwards, but she carefully lowered herself back onto the bed.

"What? Ginny!" Harry helped her get back into a propped-up position. "What's going on?"

Ginny had gone ashen. "You need to get the healer here, _now_," she told him, her brown eyes sparkling with tears. She clutched his hand. "_Now_!"

Harry bolted for the door.

"Harry?"

He turned.

"Mum, too?"

Harry gave her a quick smile and ran for the fireplace.

* * *

><p>This was written for BlueEyes444's Edgar Allan Poe challenge. My quote was: "We loved with a love that was more than love," with a TeddyLily Luna pairing. Now I do realize there's no Lily yet, but I had such fun with Daddy Harry! Lily's on her way, don't worry.

Also, for those of you who were notified of this chapter being posted more than once: I made a slight miscalculation (see Chapter 5 note) that I had to correct, or else it would drive me crazy. Sorry!

For those of you reading for the first time, welcome, and I hope you enjoy it.

Lucy


	2. 9th October 2007

October 9th, 2007

In the wee hours of the morning on October ninth, the soft cries of a newborn baby sounded through the top floor of the Potter home. Teddy stirred from his sleep in James' room. At first he thought it might have been Al crying, but then he remembered that Albus' yells sounded much different. Careful not to wake James, Teddy slid out of bed and opened the door. The hallway was quiet, but for the light coming from Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny's room. He looked back at the window in James' room. It had to be very early; why were they up? Then he heard the sound of the baby's cry again, and his heart gave a little leap. Aunt Ginny had had the baby! He had a new cousin!

He scampered quietly over to the slightly open door and heard his adopted grandfather, Arthur's voice. "She's beautiful, Ginny."

Teddy leaned forward a little more, accidentally brushing against the door. It gave a loud creak.

"Molly? Are you here already?" Pop quickly blew his nose.

There was a moment of silence, where Teddy froze on the carpet, unsure of what to do. Then, the door was opened wide. Uncle Harry stood there, a smile on his face.

"I thought it might be you," he said. "Do you want to come meet your new cousin?"

Teddy nodded wordlessly, and allowed Harry to scoop him up and carry him over to sit by Aunty Ginny, who lay in her bed looking positively exhausted. She held a small bundle on a pillow in her lap. A pretty young witch in green clothing that bore the mark of a crossed wand and bone, the sign of St. Mungo's Hospital, held her wand over Ginny and the baby as she read a bit of parchment. Arthur stood at the end of the bed, beaming.

"Hi, Ted," said Ginny, sounding very tired indeed. She rested back against her pillows and adjusted the baby in her arms. "This is Lily." Teddy's mouth was slightly open. Albus and James had both been screaming and loud when he had first seen them. This new baby was soundly asleep. She was wonderful. A wide grin spread across his face.

"What do you think, Ted?" Harry asked. Teddy blushed and buried his face in Harry's collar. Harry laughed and swept the boy up again, then placed him on the floor.

"Oh, Ted, come here," said Pop, holding out his arms and wrapping Teddy in a tight hug.

The Healer had finished checking her parchment and monitoring her patients.

"Harry, Ginny?" Healer Thomas smiled at them. "Everything seems to be just fine. I'll be back tomorrow to make sure you're doing well, and then I think we'll want to see you and the baby at St. Mungo's just to get everything sorted out. Try not to get out of bed for a few days, Ginny."

Harry sat down next to Ginny on the bed and gave her a kiss on her temple. She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning against him, too tired to protest.

"Thanks, Lavender," Harry said. "Tell Dean hi for us."

"Will do," Lavender whispered as headed for the door.

"Oh, and Lav?" Ginny asked. Lavender looked back. "Tell Hermione and Ron we're sorry we stole Hugo's birthday!"

Lavender laughed gently and looked at her watch. "I'm sure Hermione is too worked up at Ron to be bothered about your children arriving on the same day. I'll send an owl when I get back to let you know how they're doing." Harry laughed and stood up, accompanying Lavender to the front door.

Teddy sneaked up onto the bed once again as Pop sat down beside Aunt Ginny.

"Where's Gran?" he asked quietly.

"Aunty Hermione and Uncle Ron are having their baby tonight as well," Ginny told him. "Gran's at St. Mungo's with them."

Teddy's face broke into a huge smile. _Two cousins in one day_! He thought. But then he caught sight of the soft, gently squirming bundle in Ginny's arms. This baby would be his favorite; he wanted nothing more than to spoil and protect her. He gently picked up Lily's little fist and kissed it. "I love you, Lily."


	3. 9th October 2018

October 9th, 2018

Lily lay curled in a ball on her bed, her legs tucked up in her arms. She'd been lying there all day. Her small, pale yellow room shone brightly in the late afternoon sun; the rain had broken just enough to let a beautiful sunset in through her blinds, though Lily looked without really seeing it. It was her eleventh birthday at last, and Hugo's too, but she didn't feel much like celebrating.

Someone knocked on the front door of the Potter house. She didn't know or care who it might be. All she cared about was how much she missed James and Al and Rosie, and how much she wished that she was at school with them. She reached over her head for a stuffed white owl that she'd had for as long as she could remember, and squeezed the toy tightly, feeling a few tears slide down her cheeks.

Downstairs, Ginny opened the door for Teddy, who, at twenty years old, looked strikingly like his father.

"Ted!" Ginny said, throwing her arms around him and laying a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi, Aunt Gin," he answered, a smile on his face. He looked around the empty living area. "Er…I haven't got the wrong day, have I?" He'd been invited to Lily and Hugo's joint birthday party with all the family.

Ginny laughed, wiping frosting from her hands to her apron. "No, no, you're right. I just—well, I asked you to come early."

"Early?" Teddy repeated.

"Listen," Ginny told him in a low voice, leading him into the kitchen. "Lily's been in a state ever since the boys left for school. She's been so down about missing her brothers, I'm not even sure she's remembered that it's her birthday. Now, you've always been her favorite. Can't you go up and talk to her? I'm sure she'd cheer up if you two had a chat."

"'Course I will," Teddy said.

"Oh, thank you so much." Ginny gave him another quick kiss on his cheek. "She's in her room. I'm going to go back in the kitchen. I'll let you both know when Harry gets here." She glanced at her clock. "Should be any minute…oh! Teddy!"

Teddy turned on his way out the door.

"Lily doesn't know that Harry's got permission to bring James, Al and the girls home, so don't ruin the surprise!"

He smiled and nodded before making his way up the stairs. When he got to the top, he knocked on the door of the little room with the sign that read, "Lily Luna Potter—please knock" in a curly, flowery script. Teddy smiled, imagining Lily's little face scrunched up in concentration as she made the sign. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Lily said. Teddy opened the door and saw Lily facing away from him on her bed, wrapped tightly around herself. He jumped up and landed softly on the bed next to her, causing her to fly a few inches in the air. Surprised, she shrieked.

"What—" Lily sat up and glared around at the one who had disturbed her. Then her expression cleared "Teddy!" she cried, leaping onto him.

"Oof, hey there Lil," Teddy said, giving the girl a squeeze. "Happy birthday, Pix." He had called Lily "Pixie" for years, but it had been readily shortened to Pix."

Lily's smile faded a little. "Thanks." She sat back and scooped up her toy owl again. "Why are you here so early? No one's supposed to be here till seven."

Teddy reached forward and stroked the toy's fluffy white head. "I lost track of time and forgot when I was supposed to be here. I thought I was running late."

Lily stared at him for a moment. "You're a terrible liar, Teddy Lupin."

Teddy laughed. "Am I?" Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh, all right, you've caught me. Your mum wanted me here early so we could have a talk. I hear you've been missing Al and James."

Lily looked down. "It's not just that," she mumbled. "I miss them, I do, but…I just… I want to be at Hogwarts," she said plaintively, her big brown eyes wide and pleading.

"Sort of like being homesick for a place you've never been?" Ted asked. Lily nodded quickly. "Aw, Lily, I understand." Teddy pulled her in for a hug. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"You're going to be there so soon, and you know who'll be in your year?"

"Who?"

"Roxanne and Hugo," said Teddy, counting them off on his fingers. "Alice Longbottom, Lorcan Scamander…"

"I get it, I get it," Lily said. "I just…I've never wanted anything this badly, Ted. What if my letter doesn't ever come? What if—" she paused, aware that she was about to voice one of her most secret fears. "What if I'm a Squib?"

Teddy knew enough not to laugh out loud at her anxious face. "Oh, Lily! Is that what this is all about?"

Lily looked down. "Kind of."

"Lily, you've been showing magical aptitude since you were born!" Teddy said, giving the girl another hug.

Lily frowned. "What?"

"Well, you put me under a spell right away," Teddy told her. Lily swatted him. "But really, Pix, you come from one of the most magical families I've ever seen in my entire life. It's unbelievable! But you know what the best part about this family is?" he asked. Lily shook her head.

"Even if you were a Squib, they would always love you and always be on your side." Lily's eyes were full of tears. "But," Teddy said quickly, "you are most definitely _not_ a Squib, so it's time to dry your eyes and—" there was a knock on the door downstairs, "—go to the party."

Lily smiled and threw herself onto Teddy again. "Thanks, Ted," she whispered. "I love you."

"Me too, Pix," Teddy told her, rubbing her back.

"Teddy, Lily!" Ginny's voice echoed up the stairs. "Ron and Hermione are here!"

Teddy stood up. "You clean up, I'll go downstairs, all right?" Lily nodded.

It was a long evening full of celebration over Lily and Hugo. All her uncles were there, as well as Gran and Pop, with whom she had a serious conversation on the sofa about what kind of wand would suit her best when she went shopping in Diagon Alley. She laughed and giggled as she played with her many cousins and was swept into the arms of each of her uncles and aunts. When Harry, James, Rose, Albus, and Victoire came tumbling out of the fireplace, Lily could barely contain her excitement.

After she had kissed Gran and Pop goodnight, she left them to chat with her parents in the living room, and ran upstairs to tackle her brothers. She paused on the steps, though, looking at the couch where her grandparents sat with Teddy. He didn't see Lily, but she smiled to herself before running the rest of the way up.

That was the first night she began to imagine what their wedding would be like.


	4. 10th July 2021

July 10th, 2021

Lily smiled through her tears as she watched her eldest cousin, Victoire, glide down the aisle with such grace that it nearly broke Lily's heart. Teddy stood, not far away, grinning at his bride-to-be.

Dominique was Victoire's maid of honor; Rose, Lily, Roxanne, Molly, and Lucy made up the rest of the bridal party. Teddy had an unruly group of the male cousins: Louis, Fred, Hugo, James, and Albus on his side. It had been Victoire's idea to get all of her cousins and siblings into her wedding, and they had all cleaned up very nicely. Their proud parents, plus Gran and Pop, and Fleur's mother and father, sat in the first row, every single one of them smiling and crying at once.

Lily was entering her third year at Hogwarts. Since that night of her eleventh birthday, she had harbored something of a crush for Teddy; she had written him nearly every week she was at school. She loved getting his letters and making plans to spend time with him on her holidays. Most of all, Lily felt connected to Teddy in a special way that she couldn't quite phrase. Most of the pain she felt came from a feeling of being left behind by the very best friend she would ever have. She had imagined for nearly three years that marrying Teddy would make them closer than ever. Now, though…he was getting married to Victoire._ And why shouldn't he_? Lily thought bitterly.

Victoire was everything Lily was not; she was tall and slim and beautiful. Lily was more like her grandmother than anyone else; short and powerful. She privately thought she was rather fat, as well, though no one could call her that. She simply did not have the tall, slender build that Victoire and Dominique had. Lily wiped away a tear and tried to smile at Teddy and Victoire as they were bonded for life.

That night, Lily cried her eyes out in her mother's old bedroom in the Burrow. She didn't know if she was crying for her own feeling of abandonment, for her lost love, or for her envy of Victoire, but any way she looked at it, it hurt. She felt left behind and forgotten by Teddy, and a bit of the ache of a broken heart, knowing that Teddy had feelings for Victoire that he could never have for her. She couldn't stand the idea of Teddy being unhappy, and she knew that he would always be very happy with Victoire, but she couldn't stand the idea of being separated from him. Her love for him, she realized, was beyond romantic love. She needed his friendship more than anything else, and she couldn't imagine having to share his love with someone else. She was crying, buried so deeply in the pillow that she didn't hear Gran come in.

"Lily, sweetheart?" Molly asked, her hand on the doorknob.

Lily looked up. Molly sighed sympathetically and walked in, shutting the door behind her. Stiffly, she sat down beside Lily and took the girl in her arms. For a good half hour, Lily cried. When she had quieted, she felt Molly's hand stroking her hair. She picked up her grandmother's other hand and held it. It was careworn, but soft. The skin was fragile, and she could see the bumps and knots and veins that came from all of Molly's years of caring for her family.

Molly saw her looking and closed her hand around Lily's. "Lily," she said softly. Her granddaughter looked up at the lined face, smiling down at her understandingly. "He's going to be all right. You'll both be fine." Molly cupped a hand around Lily's cheek. Lily smiled and nodded, then wrapped her arms around Molly, who rocked her until they both fell asleep.


	5. 28th August 2026

August 28th, 2026

Lily stood in the hallway of St. Mungo's, next to Teddy, who was wandering in circles with the air of someone who had been told that he had recently won a small fortune. He had a grin plastered on his face, and stared around the waiting room as though he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

Lily, recently graduated from a particularly exciting year at Hogwarts, folded her arms and lifted her eyebrows. "You all right there?" she asked, amused. He didn't answer. "I heard the Chudley Cannons just won the World Cup." Still no answer. Lily rubbed the thick white line of the scar on her throat, a souvenir from her final year at Hogwarts. She was still getting used to the lower, huskier tone of her voice, another reminder of her seventh year. "Is that six house-elves riding a hippogriff past the window, over there?"

Teddy turned and looked at her for a long moment. "Yeah…" he turned the other way.

Lily tried not to snort. "Ted, just go in and be with Victoire and the baby, I'll wait here for everyone else," she told him. Teddy looked at her as though he hadn't heard her properly.

"You. Go. See. Wife," Lily said, slowly and clearly as she pointed to Victoire's hospital room.

"Ah, right," Teddy said. "Thanks, Lil," he said suddenly, grabbing her into a tight hug. "Love you."

There was a tiny tug on her heartstrings. She rarely thought of Teddy _that way_ anymore, but every now and then, it caught her by surprise. "I…I love you too, Teddy."

"Really, Pix, thanks for everything. You've always been there for me. I love you like none of the others; you've been my favorite for as long as I can remember. I don't know what I'd have done without you," Teddy embraced her again. He laughed a little. "I'm really, really glad you survived this year."

Lily felt her eyes fill with tears as she patted Teddy's back. Her throat ached as she laughed as well. "All right, you lunatic. Go be with your family. I'll be here."

Teddy went down the hall, the same goofy grin on his face as he walked into Victoire's room, where she lay holding their newborn, a son whom they had named Remus Lowell Lupin.

Lily sighed and sat down in the waiting room, looking over her shoulder for her family, who would surely be storming through in full force at any moment. She rubbed her scar, a new, but frequent habit. Secretly, she rather liked the mark; she thought it made her look daring, and her Uncle George, assuming the title of "The Holey One," had proclaimed her a real member of the family. Ginny had smacked him hard for that.

Bill and Fleur had been in the south of France when their daughter had gone into early labor; the delivery had been so surprisingly quick that they were just now working their way back to England. Harry and Ginny were at work, and also en route to the hospital. Molly and Arthur, both of whom were well into their seventies now, had been given the message, and were on their way to meet their first great-grandchild. Lily, however, had been the only one close enough that Teddy could imagine calling when he needed help at the hospital, so she had Apparated straight over from the Leaky Cauldron, where she'd been meeting with Lorcan and Alice.

Lily scratched out quick letters to each of her uncles: Charlie, Percy, George, and Ron, with instructions to pass along the message, as she sat waiting. She went to the post room at the end of the hall and sent off four owls bearing the news. After she had released them, Lily stared out the window at the bright blue summer sky.

"_You've been my favorite for as long as I can remember…I love you…"_

And she loved him too. No longer in the painful teenage crush phase, Lily had come to realize that the love she and Teddy shared, as each other's "favorites," was something larger than any romantic love; not better, just different. It was a love that specially bonded them alone. Lily wasn't envious of Victoire, not when she knew that she wasn't in love with Teddy.

She resolved herself then and there, that when it came to Teddy, she would take the love of a best friend over a romantic love any day. Because the love he gave her was so much more than just love.

"Lily?" Lily turned around to see her Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill. "Wair are zey? Wair is my Victoire?" Fleur's eyes were full of happy tears.

Lily hugged them both, a smile spreading across her face. "In here," she said, leading them to the door.

Uncle Bill kissed her cheek as he and his wife entered. "Thanks, sweetheart," he said quietly. Lily nodded up at him. As he went over to where his wife was cooing over the baby, Lily and Ted made eye contact. Lily folded her arms and smiled at him. Teddy grinned back, then lifted his son from Victoire's arms and passed him to Fleur. Lily nodded to herself and walked back out to the waiting area.

_Yeah_, she thought, rubbing her throat softly. _Me and Ted; that's a love that's more than love_.

* * *

><p>As a side note, if you want to know where Lily's scar came from, keep an eye out for a multi-chap challenge response that I'll be posting very soon. As always, please do let me know if there's anything you liked or didn't like, or if you think I should work with these two again somehow. Thanks! (Hugs to BlueEyes444 and happyndhilarious, as well as my lovelies who added me to Story Alert! Thank you!)<p>

Lucy


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